Uplift belt for use with girdles and corset-brassiere combinations



July 30, 1929. w, MCCORMICK ET AL 1,722,759

UPLIFT BELT FOR USE WITH QIRDLES AND CORSET BRASSIERE COMBINATIONS Filed Oct. 21, 1927 I ,l f

- I INVE TOR Patented July 30, 1929.

lll ll'l fi s tins-a SARA WEBER MCCORMICK AND HUGH MALCOLIII llECCOBMICK, 0F IEORENCI, MICHIGAN;

SAID SARA WEBER MCCQEMICK ASSIGNQB, T0 SAD) HUGE-ll MALCOLM IllCGOR-MEGK.

UILIFT BELT FOR USE WITH GIRDLES AND COBSET-BRASSIERE COMZBIIN'A'II'llllia.'

Application filed October 21, 1927. Serial No. 227,719.

Our invention relates to support and reduction of that portion of the human abdomen located within the pelvic-cavity, by means of leverage, and is adaptable for use by both men and women, but its principal purpose is to provide women with mechanically correct, eflicient, comfortable and healthful abdominal support (and abdominal reduction also, when desired) in conditions of abdominal ptosis; and to provide patient, physician and nurse with a long needed type of abdominal supporter in postlaparotomy and postqgarturition cases.

Since March, 1903, we have devoted much time and efiort to experimenting, discovering and inventing means for intra-pelvic" ally supporting and reducing the human abdomen by leverage, and the progress of our inventions is shown by United States Letters Patents, Numbers869,'797, October 29, 1907; 930,217, August a, 1909; 1,006,862, October 2 1 1911; 1,006,863, October 24, 1911; 1,006,888, October 2%, 1911; 1,190,250, July 4, 1916; 1,221,811, April 3, 1917; and 1,478,- 2 11, November 6, 1923.

We illustrate our present invention as follows:

Figure 1 shows an ordinary corset-brassiere-combination, on the person, provided with uplift belts;

Figure 2 shows an ordinary girdle, provided with uplift belts;

Figure 3 shows our support-emphasisplate;

Figure 4 shows a skeletal female pelvis, and the approximate relation of a pair of our support-emphasis-plates thereto.

The fundamental distinction between ordinary-type foundation, and uplift belt garments is mechanical. The former compress to achieve a desired contour of person, the latter are primarily concerned to secure eflicient and healthful intra-pelvic control of the abdomen. The resultant style appearance may be identical externally, but the mechanics employed are basically unlike.

Leverage requires two fundamentals, a base as fulcrum at one end, and appropriate freedom'of action at the other. As uplift belts are true levers itfollows that their unattached ends should operate without extraneous interference. In fact, they require nothing but themselves to operate efficiently. Hose supporters or anything else calculated to interfere with their independent operation should never be attached to them.

Our patents of April 3, 1917, and November 6, 1923,show and describe our method of designing uplift belts for and applying the same to corsets. Such designing and ap-. plication are usable for uplift belts for girdles andcorset-brassiere=combina'tions, subject, however, to essential calculation changes hereinafter set forth.

Apparently dependable average uplift belt lower front corner depths for girdles and corsetbrassiere-combinations are substantially as follows:

Commencing at the waistline at the front center of the girdle or corset-brassiere-coi. bination, measure diagonally downward to a point two inches outside front center, :a distance of 8% inches for size 32; and, similarly, for sizes 33 and 34, 9 inches; sizes 35 and 36, 9% inches; sizes 37 and 38, 9- inches; sizes 39 and 40, 9% inches; sizes 41v and s2, 10 inches; sizes 43 and 14e, 10 inches; sizes 45 and 4:6, 10 in'ches;sizes 17 and 3&8, 10% inches; sizes l9 and 50, 11'

inches; sizes 51 and 52, 11% inches; sizes 53 and 54, 11% inches.

Comparison of the depths of the foregoing 23 sizes with those of the 19 sizes given in United States Letters Patent N umber 1,473,- 241, November 6, 1923, page 2,'lines 5 to 13 inclusive, shows material difference throughout. As a matter of fact the new calculations are as much the product of new discovery as the old, since girdles and corsetbrassiere-combinations presented mechanical problems with respect to uplift belts nonexistent in corsets. V

While the lateral dimensions of womens pelves vary more or less, a diameter of nine inches between the anterior superior spines of the ilium may be taken as an average, with the anterior superior spines of the ilium four to four and one half inches above the pubes, and the ovaries situated three to three and one half inches above the latter. The average antero-posterior diameter, from sacro-vertebral angle to symphysis pubis, is four and three-quarters inches. At the back is situated the rectum, in front the bladder,

basin, is a. common cause of ill-health in V women, and an astounding number and variety of efforts have been made, for conturies, to relieve and cure such conditions.

Mechanically correct and efficient suspension of the aforesaid organs by means of comforting and helpful intra-pelvic leverage is an obvious good, and the importance of rightly positioning uplift belts equally apparent. If the bottom front corners of uplift belts are too low a woman cannot seat herself; if they are too high the base of the abdominal wall will protrude between the uplift belts and os pubis, causing much discomfort, when not actually endangering health or life.

Another mechanical factor in corsets is lacking in girdles and corset-brassiere-combinations. Corsets, whether back or front laced, have semi-rigid reenforcements on their front edges, and these supplement the control of the abdomen above the uplift belt stiffener-plates shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,190,250, July 4, 1916. Flexible girdles and corset-brassiere-combinations do not have such reenforcements,

and, moreover, their front meeting edges are often considerably either left or right of the front center of the trunk. Lack of supplemental control, therefore, calls for heightened uplift belts, and for extended and specific intra-pelvic abdominal support. by. means of an enlarged and different-shape length of the plate from four-and-one-half inches to an average of five inches, and

' broadening the upper portion into a second lobe: having alateral diameter oftwo-and onehalf 'inches tothree-and-one-quarter inches with two-and-three-quarters inches as a safe average. The support-emphasisplate is preferably made of ductile non corrosive metal, such as aluminum, of about twenty-two gage thickness. In use, wearers can bend our support-emphasisplates to comfortably complement abdominal convexities. Holes for hooks or eyelets are provided for lacing.

WVe are pioneers in one field. Our contribution to the theory of abdominal support has been and is leverage, applied intrapelvically, and our inventions have been and are various means for accomplishing results. The nature of our work, affected by changing modes of dress producing changing mechanical relations, is peculiarly difficult to demonstrate asinvention, yet we must both.

discover and invent to obtain results. lVe began work upon part of the subject matter shown herein in February, 1911, when we made" a crude uplift belt girdlef Lacking the information contained in this specification we could not reproduce in quantity or variety correctly.

Referring to drawing: Figure 1 shows corset-brassirecombination A on a woman,- open, disclosing uplift belts,,E, 'E,-in position on the body, with supperteemphasi plates C, C, outlined on fronts of uplift belts. Figure 2 shows girdle B, and uplift belts, E, E, combined. Figure 3 shows support-c1iphasis-plate, C. Figure 4 shows support-emphasis-plates C, O, in approximate relation to a pelvis.

Uplift belts are preferably attached to girdles and corset-brassiere combinations mid way between the center of the back and the side of the wearer with their upper rear corners at or about the waistline and their rear edges thence descending to lower rear corners well below theconvexities of. the hips.

Having shownand described our invention, we claim: 3

In a device of the type set'forth, an outer body encircling girdle-like member or the like, having free front ends, an uplift belt secured to the rear portion of said member and having front ends, a plate carried by each of the free front ends of the belt, each of said plates being formed with a rearwardly extending lobular portion adjacent its upper end, said front ends of the belts bein completely free, and means connecting the free front ends oftlie belt whereby the latter may be rigidly. secured relative to each other for. assisting, intra-pelvic abdomb nal support.

SARA WEBER MCCORMICK. HUGH MALCOLM McGORla HGK. 

